Wawa’s original store, which opened on MacDade Boulevard in the Folsom section of the Ridley Township back in April 1964, will be closing its doors.

The quaint, old-style store that featured a Canada goose as its logo is a bit of a Dodo bird. These days Wawa is a convenience store behemoth, which leans toward so-called “Super Wawas” featuring gas pumps.

They still have the coffee and all the other necessities that have become part of our daily ritual, but that nostalgic feeling surrounding those old stores is giving way the demands of a “driven” society.

Advertisement

It was just a few months ago when the company’s executives gathered at old No. 1 to celebrate 50 years in business.

In that half-century, Wawa has done something remarkable. It has become part of our lives. We are in there every day, a refuge from the maddening pace at which we now live our lives.

It’s a different world than the one company founder Grahame Wood envisioned when he was seeking an outlet for his dairy products.

The company has become part of the landscape, part of our psyche. Talk to someone who has moved away from the area and they will inevitably declare that one of the things they miss most is their beloved Wawa.

And of course anyone who has lived here any amount of time can tell you, and undoubtedly has informed many an out-of-towner, Wawa is the native American goose that was found in this region. Thus the goose in the company logo.

Of course, hitting a Wawa is now a bit easier since the company has expanded to more than 640 stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and now even into Florida.

But only one store could be No. 1. That honor fell to the corner of MacDade Boulevard and Swarthmore Avenue. It will soon give way to a “Super Wawa” to be constructed a few blocks away at the intersection of MacDade and Route 420.

Talk to some of the loyal customers of store No. 1, and you begin to get a glimpse of the Wawa mystique.

“I’m devastated,” said Denise Master, who lives nearby. “This store has been a staple here in the neighborhood. I will definitely miss just walking across the street to the store. This is a bummer.”

Company officials are well aware of the deep connection they have with their customers, and they are seeking to assure the store’s loyal customers that their goose is not cooked, so to speak. It’s just moving up the street.

Susan Bratton, regional sales manager for Wawa, said that new “super” store will retain the tag as store No. 1. All of the store’s 25 to 30 employees will make the trek to the new store. The old spot will remain open until the new store is ready to open its doors, likely in spring 2016.

Wawa company spokesman Lori Bruce said a few relics from the original No. 1 will likely make their way to the new store to preserve the historical link to the company’s roots.

“That location, and the fact that it is still going to be in Ridley Township, holds a very special place in our hearts,” Bruce said.

Time marches on. Things change. Even Wawa store No. 1. That golden goose stood for half a century. Now it’s about to fly the coop.

When the time comes to close the doors at store No. 1, the Ridley location will still hold claim to a rich history in Delaware County and the region.